REPLY TO ARTICLE 'TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY PHYSICS
TEACHING AND RESEARCH GROUP INCLINES TOWARD THE
'LEFT' RATHER THAN RIGHT IN HANDLING TEACHERS'
(22 December 1958)
I suggest printing and distributing the article to the party commit
tees, general branches, and branch committees of all universities, special
schools, and scientific research organs for their perusal. There should be
a discussion to correct the main orientation and strive to make as many
professors, lecturers, assistants, and research personnel as possible serve
proletarian education and culture and science. What do you think? It should
also be distributed to the party committees and general branches of literary
and art organizations, newspapers, periodicals, and publishing organs for
their study and discussion. Please consider and decide.
Appendix; Tsinghua University Physics Teaching and Research Group Inclines
toward the 'Left' Rather Than Right in Handling Teachers
Recently the party general branch of the Tsinghua University Public
Teaching and Research Group inspected the work of the Physics Teaching and
Research Group Branch and organized the party members to discuss its policy
toward intellectuals. The following problems were uncovered in the discus
sion:
(1) It is felt that the intellectuals are the objects of revolution
in the socialist revolution period, and even more so when entering communism,
because the absolute majority of them are bourgeois intellectuals and belong
to the exploiting class. Even league member assistant professors are con
sidered the objects of revolution.
(2) It is felt that, to start from the interest of the working class,
the class line should be followed, but not the mass line, as it is not suit
able in the school. To clarify the dividing lines, they Incline toward the
"left." They feel that "bringing out the role of old teachers" will confuse
the class line and relax the struggle.

(3) It is felt that all high level intellectuals are fundamentally
opposed to the party's education policy; that they set up a formation to
attack us; that we must counter-attack. All the objects of the united front
are retrogressives. To have them here is for the purpose of setting up
opposites.
(4) It is felt that party prestige and mass consciousness have been
raised and that the time has arrived for replacement by party members. As
the work load is heavy now, performing united front work will impede the
great leap forward. The leaders of all organizations should be replaced by
party members.
As a result of such wrong ideas, they adopted some wrong methods in
their work The director of the teaching and research office, Liu Shao-tang
[0491 4801 0781] (medium left), had always made a relatively good showing,
yet the branch felt that he could only serve as a negative example. He was
asked to compile the teaching outline together with several backward assistants.
Meanwhile, the party and league members compiled another outline behind his
back and prepared to compete with him. Liu manifested extreme enthusiasm,
finishing the task by working through the night. No fault could be found with
it. Yet the party members laid his outline aside and handed the outline
compiled by the party and league members to the masses for discussion.
During the socialist and communist education movement, the party and
league members declared at the small group meetings; "If we do not promote
communism now, it is a withdrawal in face of the bourgeoisie. The principal
rejects salary reduction; it is a compromise with the high level
ec ua s.
If they are [politically] conscious, they should voluntarily cut their salary.
If these people still do not reform, they should be sent to the old age home.
All the work of the teaching and research group was handled by the
party branch, without consulting the group chairman. The party general
wanted to stimulate the enthusiasm of all the teachers, but the branch could
not see the point. It felt that if the prestige of these people was not
knocked down, it would not be able to stimulate the enthusiasm of the party
and league members. When the party general branch proposed motivating the
masses to summarize the experiences in implementing the education policy,
the branch was also reluctant, saying: "Why is it necessary to summarize
experiences in company with the objects of revolution?"
The Tsinghua University party commission recently corrected such
erroneous methods.